2016 Nissan Titan XD: Yep, It’s More Expensive Than Half-Ton Pickups

Depending upon who reads Nissan’s base price for its new Titan XD, the truck will either be seen as a decent deal or an overpriced, Japanese outsider in a ’Murican-dominated full-size truck market. We’re not here to tell you where your loyalties lie, but as far as diesel-powered, non-heavy-duty full-size pickups go, the Nissan isn’t actually that much more expensive than the one other entrant: Ram’s 1500 diesel. The Titan XD’s $41,485 bottom line seems steep, towering over the base prices of regular full-size pickups, but it’s only $2560 more than the least-expensive Ram 1500 crew cab with the optional EcoDiesel V-6 engine.

Furthermore, the Titan XD—not to be mistaken for the half-ton, gas-only Titan due in 2016—is akin to a three-quarter-ton truck, with a heavy-duty frame and a mighty 5.0-liter Cummins diesel V-8 that frankly steps all over the Ram’s 3.0-liter diesel V-6. In that sense, the least-expensive Titan XD diesel’s $2560 premium over the Ram 1500 Tradesman crew-cab diesel doesn’t seem so high. (The Titan XD is crew-cab-only, so we’ve compared it solely to Ram’s larger four-door 1500 EcoDiesel; less-expensive diesel Rams exist, but with fewer doors.) And the Titan comes with remote keyless entry with pushbutton ignition, Bluetooth connectivity, a soft-opening tailgate, and goes without the poverty-spec black-plastic bumpers and grille affixed to the Ram Tradesman. Also, let’s not forget the Nissan’s Cummins engine, which puts out 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, compared to the Ram’s 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The Ram, however, is likely to remain the fuel-economy champ (Nissan’s fuel-economy estimates aren’t out yet).

The Titan XD’s base price will come down, presumably, when the gasoline 5.6-liter V-8 is introduced to the lineup later in 2016. Still, for now, the Cummins-powered XD seems like a decent shake for something with half-ton/one-ton bifurcating performance and capability.